Doctor insights on:
Gamma Radiation Treatment

1

Radiation dose:
Gamma rays, a name for electromagnetic radiation emitted by atoms, are used to treat cancer in many ways. For example radioactive isotopes of iodine or palladium atoms are used to treat prostate cancer, by putting in the radioactivity directly into the prostate.
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2

Energy beams:
For certain types of colorectal cancer, energy beams are focused in the cancerous area. These beams are designed to kill cancer cells and decrease the chance of the tumor growing back. Depending on the situation, radiation can be used either before an operation or after an operation.
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3

Depends:
Radiation is one method of treating lung cancer, and is effective if the lesion is small, and peripherally located. Once the lesion is treated, a scar will remain. This needs to be followed, since complete clearance can only be determined by surgical resection.
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4

Yes:
Some people confuse bone cancer with when another type of cancer spreads to the bone (metastasis). Radiation can help the bone or the pain. As dr. Noga stated true bone cancer such as myeloma or plasmacytoma can also be treated with radiation. Other bone cancers, osteosarcoma or bone tumors may also have a role from radiation but surgery is usually the best for that type of bone cancers.
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7

Insurance covers....:
Gamma Knife is one of my specialties. I have been using it for 24 years, and have treated more than 7000 patients to date. Every single insurance carrier I've come across covers it. Our cash price for everything (surgeon, radiation oncologist and technical fees are around 25K)
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8

Chemo is treatment:
Leukemia is primarily treated with chemotherapy. Radiation has been used in the past for so called "sanctuary" sites like the brain and scrotum. However, today even that is less common.
However, in situations where we have to treat leukemic masses, called chloromas, radiation is very effective at lower doses.
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9

No:
There are other conditions and types of radiation that physicians treat. Example radioactiveiodine for hyperthyroid patient. Keloid scars are prevented with radiation. Benign growths in various location are treated with radiation.
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10

Can be very effectiv:
Radiation therapy is commonly used and is highly effective for treatment of lymphomas but only for early stages(Mostly stage-1 and some cases of stage-2). For more advanced cases chemotherapy plays a more important role. You need to tell us what type of lymphoma it is and what is the stage of disease before we can give you a more reliable answer.
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11

High cure rate:
The prognosis for dcis after lumpectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy is great. The average cure rate is more than 95% (of course small tumor size, low grade, clear margins tend to ahve better outcome than high grade or positive margins). At your age (46 yo) and with high grade dcis, you should discuss with your oncologist about the use of tamoxifen to further decreease the chance of recurrence.
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12

Sometimes:
The two main types of esophageal cancer are adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Cure with chemotherapy and radiation alone is much more likely with squamous cell carcinoma. The exact cure rate is dependent on the stage of the cancer, but cure with just chemotherapy and radiation is rare.
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13

Fairly effective:
Best used in the neoadjuvant setting to reduce the size of a rectosigmoid lesion to improve operability. In terms of long term survival this has not been achieved without the addition or RT. Better results can be anticipated when RT is combined with immunochemotherapy. It is also used palliatively if a large metastatic disease is present in the pelvis and the primary has already been resected.
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14

GBM and Radiation:
GBM, or glioblastoma, is the highest grade brain tumor. It tends to grow rapidly. Unfortunately it is one of the CA we have trouble controlling. Even with high doses of radiation and chemotherapy the results are poor. On a good day we buy the pt time, on a bad day the tumor progresses while the pt is receiving treatment.
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15

Partially effective:
The best approach for colon cancer is resection. If lesion is large such as one in the rectosigmoid, then RT plus chemo can be employed to reduce the lesion for resection. While the end effect minimizes local recurrence, it does not alter overall survival.
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16

Fairly effective:
Radiation plays an important role in treating breast cancer. In the neoadjuvant setting it can reduce the size of a relatively large lesion making surgery more effective. It can be used to treat micro disease in axilla and after lumpectomy can be used to enhance survival and reduce local recurrence. In metastatic bone disease it can control in not eliminate disease.
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19

There are many:
Isotopes in use for cancer and benign disease treatment - the list goes from the original radium being re-tooled for prostate treatment to iodine isotopes, 131 for thyroid conditions and 125 as a sealed source for prostate brachytherapy. Narrow your question and i can be very specific.
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20

Photodynamic therapy may play a limited role in lung cancer treatment — generally complementing, rather than replacing, other forms of treatment:
Photodynamic therapy may be an option for treating superficial non-small cell lung cancers that haven't spread beyond the lungs and those that are located in areas easily reached with the tools used during the treatment. Photodynamic therapy begins with the injection of a light-sensitive medication into a vein. One to three days later, the doctor shines light of a certain wavelength onto the tumor from inside the body — typically using a thin, lighted tube called a bronchoscope, which is passed through the mouth into the lungs. The light destroys the cells that have absorbed the light-sensitive medication. After photodynamic therapy, your whole body is sensitive to light. Generally you need to avoid any exposure to bright light, including the sun, for up to eight weeks after treatment. Photodynamic therapy isn't effective for cancer that has spread beyond the lung or tumors that can't be reached by the bronchoscope.
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